Christmas Art Projects

Throughout this week, the kids and I created the Christmas tree above. The bottom and third row up are Gracie's handprints (she put a print in the middle of nowhere and we made due). The second row up is Bee's, and the to two are Jerry's. I added the glitter star, and the girls put the jewels on for the ornaments.

When Josey was here for Thanksgiving, she sent Daddy and I out on a date and made foot and hand print angels with all three kids. I found frames that will fit them at work (that I will never use at work) and brought them home. I discovered that the mats looked bad with them, as they were off white so I had the kids paint them in the colors they used for their angel. Gracie painted 3/4 of the mat, Bee painted the paper I put under the mat, and I didn't even try with Jerry! I painted Bee and Jerry's and put them in the frames. I think they look great! I plan on putting them either above our t.v. or in the hallway.

P.S. This is where I got the Christmas tree picture idea.

O Christmas Tree

I believe it was my mother-in-law that suggested putting a small Christmas tree in the girls' room for them to decorate and redecorate all they want, taking the desire to~ahem~"fix" the big tree in the living room daily. Last night at bedtime, we decorated their little tree. Tonight we'll do our big tree as a family.

Sunday Funday

With Gracie reaching the ripe old age of three, Christmas is becoming a big deal around here. She has requested several times to have our own tree this year, and we plan to do so. However, we don't have many ornaments. What's an art teacher to do with not enough ornaments? Have her kids make some, of course! I've decided to try to do a Christmas craft with them each weekend, and hopefully a few more sprinkled in the weekdays. This coming weekend will be hard, as I have grad school, but we'll try. Yesterday we did our first one: Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees!

First the girls painted the "skinny sticks" I got at Wal Mart green. If we were to do it again, I'd just have them use markers, like they did with the popsicle stick for the trunk.

Jerry was very into this project.

The girls struggled with the painting at first, so I got some tape out and taped the sticks to the paper plate. Things went much more smoothly after that.

Bee did ask for help painting, but did about 90% herself.

While the paint dried, we went outside to enjoy our new snow!

It wasn't "snowman making snow," but we did what we could.

Gracie asked Bee to help her make a "really big head, like mine!" but didn't realize that Bee's not quite capable of being gentle yet. His head got destroyed, so Gracie kicked him over. (see video)

 Oh well, it was fun anyway!

Gracie and I made snowangels, and she added a halo to mine. :)

So sweet.

After lunch and naps (which I used to glue the green sticks onto the brown trunks), the girls were ready to finish their Christmas trees. They chose which jewel to add, and showed me where to put the glue. Gracie got very into it, but Bee doesn't like getting dirty or sticky as much as Gracie does. She got glue on her fingers and decided she was done.

Gracie's is on the left and Bee's is on the right.

Momma just needs to add a string to hang them from!

Thanksgiving 2011

As is tradition at every holiday, we tried to get a picture of all the kids together. Gracie wasn't really into it. Actually, she wasn't into much on Thanksgiving. I had cute outfits picked out for the girls, but they stated that they would only leave the house in their Packers shirts. I knew that wouldn't go over well with my Viking fan family, so I concinced them to at least wear a team-neutral Koos for Kids charity shirt instead. Oh well, I can't win them all.

At least I got cute one of my niece, Elara with JR.

After dinner the kids made a paper chain for Nana and Grandpa's Christmas Tree.

Then the glitter glue came out to make a few ornaments.

Bee decided Grandpa looked cold.

The grandkids decorated the Christmas tree too!

I'd say the bottom two feet of the tree look marvelous!

Tie Dye with Sharpies

 I did this lesson with my special needs kids on Tuesday and decided Gracie would also have fun with it. We put a cardboard in the shirts and then a plastic cup. With a rubber band around the top of the cup, she used a Sharpie to color the shirt. When rubbing alcohol is added with a dropper, the ink spreads and looks like tie dye. Just keep moving the cup around to make a complete shirt. Gracie loved it and started a second shirt too.

 Adding the rubbing alcohol.

Her first completed shirt. Yeah, it's a little big, but Momma made her one her size, and hers was made from leftover shirts that I bought for my students.



P.S. Don't you love my kids' gallery in the background? Our dining room is so artistic!

My Littlest Artist

 Josey got baby Jerry painting! He really seemed to like it, and made three beautiful masterpieces.

"Momma, I'm done."

He Sits!~For Real!